Genetic improvement of soybean seed traits and resistance to bud blight and root-knot nematodes

Abstract

The selection of F2-derived soybean lines from a population of Benning (42% protein) x Danbaekkong (52% protein) for divergent seed protein content based on a major protein QTL identified one line, G98SF-114 that produced 48% protein and seed yield equal to Benning. An attempt to confirm previously identified QTL for seed protein, seed oil, and seed weight with SSR markers in an F2-derived population of Young x PI416937 resulted in three of the nine QTL (33%) being confirmed. A major QTL for bud blight (caused by tobacco ringspot virus) was confirmed in the F2-derived Young x PI416937 population. Evaluation of recently obtained Chinese soybean germplasm lines for resistance to Meloidogyne arenaria (MA) and M. incognita (MI) (two species of root-knot nematode) found two lines resistant to galling for each of the species (PI594427C and PI594403 for MA and PI594753A and PI594775A for MI), and PI594427C and PI594403 with resistance to MA egg production.